Fighting has resumed in Sudan after the expiry of a temporary ceasefire agreed by the warring parties.
Artillery fire and clashes were reported in Khartoum on Sunday morning, soon after the 24-hour truce ended at 6am local time.
Besides the capital city, the fighting also resumed in Omdurman and Bahri regions.
Witnesses told Reuters that they heard blasts and gun sounds reverberating through the surroundings in Khartoum, a situation that wasn’t the case in the preceding 24 hours.
On Friday, the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United States announced that the rival parties in Sudan had agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire.
Ceasefire terms
Representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – the clashing sides – committed to the ceasefire after a meeting in Saudi Arabia.
“The parties agreed that during the ceasefire they will refrain from prohibited movements, attacks, use of aircraft or drones, aerial bombardment, artillery strikes, reinforcement of positions and resupply of forces, and will refrain from seeking military advantage during the ceasefire,” the statement posted on Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Twitter account said.
During the temporary calm, the rival groups allowed unimpeded movement of people and delivery of assistance throughout the country.
Fight over control
The war in Sudan is in its second month after the government backed-military and the paramilitary forces clashed on April 15 over control as the country warmed up for a return to civilian democracy.
At least 600 people have died in the ongoing war, with more than 700,000 displaced so far, data by the United Nations indicates.
The number of casualties could be higher as many fatalities are going unrecorded, especially in remote parts of Sudan.
